Sakhalin Travel Forum

Hello all.
I'm planning to travel in SAkhalin's Islands, for 2-3 weeks. I'm arriving in Vladivostok mid-december, and know nothing about Russia and russians, and how to get there.. I don't really feel lost anywhere, but any topics would help much. Ferries, nices and quiet cities to see, and how to get in China after mt visit.
Thank you very mych, i can help anybody about America and CentralAmerica, Europe and Japan. (that's where i was untill now)..
Thank you very much,
Beto

Vladivostok is a very nice city. I would say one of the nicest in Russia. The problems there are mafia and roads. There are too many mafia guys and not enough roads. So many cars are brought from japan, its no even funny. Russia spends 300 million dollars a year buying japanese cars and bringing them through Vlad. Downtown of the city is very nice, year and a half ago, they spend a few millions dollars remodeling it, cuz the president and the minister of internal affairs were coming. You will see not too many, but some foreigners of western descent. You will meet chinese, korean and japanese people on every corner. During the summer you will be lucky to be in Vlad at the time when some US Navy ship is there for a few days. There are thousands people there at this time having fun in town. People like foreigners as long as they dont start teaching them how to do something. People hate Moscow and muscovites there. My favorite place in town is NABEREZHNAYA, its the place where all the teenagers and college students hang out. Is its a good summer day, you have a chance seeing 60000 thousand people on one street. everybody is drinking beer (vodka is prohibited by city laws on this street) and eating shashlik (bbq, shishkebab meat on the stick.) After Vladivostok its very good to go to Sakhalin, there are lots of american and european businesses there. You will like it there, the city is growing really fast.

Your lucky man!!! Skhallin island has the slowest train in the world going at 7-10km/h. I actualy jumper off to take a leak. Pretty neat train though (steam train)